Patrick McDowell receives Queen Elizabeth II award for British design

Liverpool-born designer Patrick McDowell has been awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design, presented by The Princess of Wales in a ceremony hosted by the British Fashion Council at 180 Studios.

The accolade, now a mainstay in the British fashion calendar, recognises emerging designers making a positive impact through creativity, community and sustainability - pillars that McDowell has championed since launching his brand in 2018.

True to form, McDowell forwent the typical post-award runway moment and instead brought their studio to life inside the venue. Guests were invited into the making process: from fittings and embroidery to live pattern-cutting.

McDowell's first designs were upcycled accessories sold to friends and teachers. After training at Central Saint Martins, and working as an intern under Christopher Bailey at Burberry, McDowell launched a namesake label that fused occasionwear with environmental innovation. Seven years later, McDowell’s ethos remains intact: bespoke, narrative-led design, minimal waste and garments made to last.

Fittingly, the jacket worn to accept the award was made from a leftover Burberry Prince of Wales check - the very fabric donated for McDowell’s graduate collection, neatly connecting past to present.

While the fashion landscape continues to shift amid economic headwinds and changing consumer values, McDowell has held firm. His business remains intentionally small-scale and profitable, leaning into direct-to-consumer and made-to-order models. The upcoming September collection will blend upcycled pieces with next-gen materials from sustainable innovators like Circ and Sparxell - proof that beauty and responsibility need not be mutually exclusive.

This win places McDowell in the company of past recipients like Richard Quinn, Bethany Williams and Saul Nash, all designers rewriting the rules of modern British fashion.

Other British designers in attendance included Conner Ives and jewellery designer Bleue Burnham. As a graduate of Central Saint Martins, Ives dressed model Adwoa Aboah for the 2021 Met Gala while still studying, and subsequently gained the notice of Rihanna, who hired him to help create her first Fenty collection.

Like McDowell, Ives has been praised for his sustainable initiatives, using deadstock fabric and recycled vintage clothing to create offbeat collections that draw on streetwear and American youth culture.

Bleue Burnham is a London-based jewellery designer known for bold, nature-inspired pieces crafted from recycled metals and lab-grown gemstones. After launching his brand in 2018, he quickly gained recognition for colourful, textured designs that blend artistry with sustainability.

From his studio at 180 The Strand, Burnham leads a team focused on low-impact practices. He has collaborated with Gucci Vault and Palm Angels, and recently launched Dudley Coppice, a menswear label with the same eco-minded ethos.